Stocking stacking and banding device



July 16,1946. E. R. AMMON STOCKING STACKING AND BANDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 1941 Patented July 16, 1946 STOCKING STACKING AND BANDING DEVICE Edward R. Ammon, Reading, Pa.

Application September 11, 1941, Serial No. 410,485

4 Claims.

This invention is directed to a device for bundling stockings wherein stockings may be stacked in neat piles and secured by a suitable tie band. It is a particular object of the invention to provide a device of the character indicated adapted to serve as an accessory to a stocking seaming machine and in which stockings may be stacked by the machine operator as they are withdrawn from the seaming machine and handed to hold them in their stacked arrangement. Through the use of the invention the stockings reach the inspection department in neat stacks from which through the use of the present invention.

the stockings may be easily withdrawn by the inspector without loss of time of the inspector in preparing the stockings for examination.

According to usual practice the seaming machine operator places the stockings after seaming in loose piles of one dozen pairs, and then packs the piles into bundles which are bound with pieces of tape or other fabric strips. The bundles are delivered to the inspecting machine operator who, after untying the bundles, must straighten out the stockings and arrange them in a ile from which she can withdraw them conveniently one by one for application to the inspection machine.

the stocking at various vital points. Forms of this character are fully disclosed and described in various of my prior atents, including No. 2,010,172, granted August 6, 1935, No. 2,023,946, granted December 10, 1935, and No. 2,090,883, granted August 24, 1937. To further assist the inspecting machine operator I have in my copending application Serial No. 389,430, filed April 19, 1941, proposed to provide an adjustable tray structure in juxtaposition to the end of the inspection form in which stockings are placed when received from the inspecting department and from which the operator can draw the top end of the stocking over the inspecting form with the minimum of effort and time. To enable the full benefits of such apparatus to be obtained, it is important that the stockings be arranged preliminarily in flat piles when inserted in the tray, and this conthe stack.

The structure and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing and the subsequent detailed description. In such drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my stocking seaming and banding device and illustrating its preferred position of use in association with a stocking seaming machine; r

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. l on a somewhat larger scale; and

- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of a banded stac of stockings as produced through the use of the invention. i r

. The stocking stacking and banding device is of extremely simple construction. In the embodiment shown the same takes the form of an elongated receptacle shorter than stocking length having abottom portion l0 and opposite side walls l2 adjoining the open end I4 is cut away at'l5 in at least its upper portion to facilitate the introduction of stockings When a suitable number of stockings, say one to three dozen pairs, has been assembled in a stack in the receptacle a tie band is applied to secure To enable the stockings to be bandedin thereceptacle opposing portions of the side Walls ll and I2 adjacent thebottom 10 are provided with openings so that a .tie band may be disposed transversely of the bottom preliminary to'the introduction of stockings with portions of thejtie band projecting outwardly of the receptacle. Such opposing openings are extended upwardly to provide guideways 0r slots l6 and through which projecting portions of the tie band may be drawn after astack of stockings has been assembled and. secured. around the sidesand the top or the pile. The tie band may take the form of a piece of tape or string as indicated at [-8 in Fig. 1, or if desired thetie band may comprise a circular elastic band which may preliminarily be placed in the slots I 6 and I1 and extended around the end wall I3 so that after a stack of stockings has been received in the receptacle the elastic into the receptacle.

band may be stretched upwardly over the top end ging on the receptacle, but to frictionally engage I the opposite sides of the stocking pile so that those stockings which have been disposed flat inthe pile will not be disarranged as additional stockings are inserted into the receptacle; shown, the fabric covering l9 may be extended over the upper edges of the-sidewalls-l l and 12 and applied also to the exterior of such walls.

In Fig. 1 the receptacle is shown in position as as accessory to a seaming machine. Suchv machine 20withits. feed rolls 2| and22 is diagrammatically'illustrated' in position on the'usual supporting table. 23. g The stocking stacking and banding device is' placed on table 23 with its open end projecting beyondthe front edgeofthe table, and with its longitudinalaxisat an angle of about sixty-five degrees to such table edge. The cutaway portion I5 of the, side. wall I2 is disposed opposite the seaming machine feed rolls 2| and 22 so that after the stocking has been fed through the, rolls the operator may conveniently draw; the top end ,of the stocking into the receptacle-through the cutaway portion of the receptacle side wall. shown in position in the receptacle prior to being handed, by th tie band "3. As. previously noted the lower portions of the stockings: will project outwardly through'the-open receptacle end l4 and A stack 24 of stockings is v hang downwardly sinceit .is' unnecessary thatthe foot portions be arranged inflat form as in the case of the upper partsof the stockings,

The stack of stockings is secured by the tie band while in the receptacle by drawing projecting portions of'thetie band l-8upwardly'throughthe guide slots l6 and "and then securing the same. Th now banded stack of "stockings .will then be removed from the receptacle, ior. transportation to the inspecting" department and will appear more orless as shown in Fig. 3.

Whereas under prior-practices the seamingmachine operator usually bundled stockings in lots of a dozen pairs, since it'was'difiicult for her to.

band more than this number together when piled at random, the stockings can be conveniently piled through the use of'the invention "in lots of three dozen pairs. The stacks are banded'inth'e receptacle whichdispenses with the necessity of handling. until after banding. he. improved bundling of. stockings not only saves considerable.

4 eluding an elongated base wall suificiently long to support the top and main leg portion of stockings but being short enough that the foot portion of stockings stacked in the receptacle will project beyond one end of the base, said base end being so formed without obstruction that the stocking foot portions will hang downwardly thereover without danger of snagging or otherwise injuring the delicate. stocking. fabric, opposite side wall members secured to and, forming with the base wall a relatively narrow elongated stocking-receiving channel, said side walls being located inspaced apart relation just sufficient to accommodate the width of a stocking leg so that stockings received in the receptacle tend to lie flat and stack singly on top of one another in substantial vertical alignment, a vertical end wall upstanding from the base wall closing the end of the receptacle receiving the stocking tops and against which the top edges of. thestockings can be stacked in substantial.verticalalignment, and opposite tie band receivingnarrow vertical channels in therespectivesides of the receptacle above an. intermediate point in the length of the receptacle base wall adapted to receive a tie band for application around the stocking-s stacked in the receptacle.

2. Astocking seaming machine accessory as in claim 1 wherein a portion of one of the side walls adjacent the open end of the receptacle .is cut away to provide an additional open area through which the arm may be inserted in introducing stockings into the receptacle. 7

3. A stocking seaming machine accessory as in claim 1. further including means for frictionally engaging stockings stacked in the receptacle and holding the same against disarrangement when additional stockings are inserted in the receptacle of a character notto snag or otherwise injure the delicate stocking fabric and comprising a fabric covering lining the inner surfaces. of the receptacleside walls and adapted' to engage the opposite marginal areas of the stacked stockings.

4.. .A stocking seaming'machine accessory consisting of a receptacle openat-the top and at one end comprising a base member, opposite side members and one end member forming an elongated relatively narrow; stockingreceiving chan nel of just vsufificient width to accommodate the width of one stocking so that through cooperation of the side and end wallsstockings received in the receptacle can be stacked" on top of each other in substantial vertical alignment-"with the top ends of the stockings against'the end wall,

said receptacle being of substantially greater length than width so as to accommodate therein the top and main leg portions of stockings stacked therein, but being sufiiciently short that the foot portions of stockings will project outwardly through the open end of the receptacle and hang downwardly over the edge of the base member,

7 and narrow vertical slots in the opposite sides stockedleng hw se. therein as they areremoved from. the. seaming machine, said receptacle in.-

adapted to receive a tie band for application around stockings stacked in the receptacle, said 

